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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27062215">Handsome Stranger [Businessman! Erwin x POC! Reader]</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enoughofthefoolishness/pseuds/Enoughofthefoolishness'>Enoughofthefoolishness</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Modern AU, businessman!Erwin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:28:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,440</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27062215</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enoughofthefoolishness/pseuds/Enoughofthefoolishness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You felt a hard chest against your back.  A muscular, pale arm grabbed the can of pineapples. You didn't need to speculate who it was, somehow you already knew. His expensive scent filled the air around you. It was a masculine smell, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it. Warmth emanated from him, and for a second, you didn't ever want to leave this position.</p>
<p>However, the world never did give you want you wanted.</p>
<p>The tall, muscular body pulled away from you as you slowly turned around.  Piercing blue eyes that you had grown to love stared back at you with a playful glint in them. His pink lips were pulled into a handsome smile.</p>
<p>"We have got to stop meeting like this."</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>A story in which a young, coffee shop owner falls in love with an older businessman.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Erwin Smith/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>150</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. HS - 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was there every day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The mysterious man with the soft-looking blonde hair. You didn’t know when he first started coming into the coffee shop, but it couldn’t have been that long ago. You first noticed him around a couple of months back, and surprising to absolutely no-one, an attraction started building itself into your heart. It was completely one-sided, of course. Judging by the sly glances from other women in the shop, you weren’t the only one to develop a crush.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You couldn’t blame them though. He was incredibly handsome. His neatly combed hair was a luminous blonde, manifesting itself in a side part. He had an undercut, which strangely was darker than the hair above it. It was a good contrast, you had to admit. He had fair skin, untouched with any blemish or pimple. His bone structure was immaculate. His cheekbones rested high in his face, accenting his European esque features. You briefly wondered where he was from. Greece? Rome? Germany maybe? He had a sharp Cupid’s now that fed into a pair of pink, soft-looking lips. What caught your attention the most, though, was his striking cyan eyes. They were bright and full of life. He could be a model if he wanted to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He walked into the shop every other day and sat in the same spot, near the windows in a booth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now, you didn’t always admire the handsome stranger from afar. When you first noticed him, you were determined to talk to him—even if it was just taking his order. However, you had decided that day that you didn’t look presentable enough to catch his attention, and pushed your interaction with him back a day. You should’ve known that you would convince yourself of that excuse for the next few days.</p>
<p>Days turned to weeks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Weeks turned to months.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before you knew it, your crush had grown stronger over the course of the four months you refused to interact with the blonde man. You were embarrassed to admit that you were simping over a man who you had never even talked to before. Your ears perked at the sound of the door’s bell ringing. Out of pure curiosity, you turned to look at who entered the shop.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>it was the handsome stranger. He was back again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He walked in with his eyebrows furrowed, glancing at the expensive-looking watch on his wrist. He was wearing a pristine grey suit, contrasted with his white undershirt and ebony tie. A tan, plaid scarf laid around his neck, and to finish off the look, he wore a black coat. He let out a short sight before sitting down in his usual seat. You frowned watching your employee, Historia, walk up to him with a smile. Don't misunderstand, you did not harbor any hate towards the petite girl, you both were actually good friends. However, that didn’t mean the sharp nails of jealousy weren’t running up and down your heart. You stared discreetly at the two as you worked on the elderly couples cup. They looked like the perfect couple. You bet Historia was his type anyway. With medium golden locks falling down her scalp and teasing her shoulders, flawless fair skin, and the ideal body type, next to her, he probably wouldn’t spare you another glance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shaking your head, you pushed the image of the handsome stranger to the back of your mind and looked at the elderly couple in front of you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Will that be all?” You asked in a sweet voice, writing down the last of their orders. The elderly man smiled back at you, nodding his head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Y-yes. Oh, for the na-name in the cup, can you write M-marty?” The man asked. You smiled to yourself, nodding at him. You briefly contemplated writing his name wrong as an inside joke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course, sir. Coming right up.” You turned from the table, moving to walk back to the cash register. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You finished the couple’s cup and administered it to them. After they had thanked you, you decided it would be best to wash your face. The jealousy and fear of rejection weighing on your heart weren’t exactly working wonders on your face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You dragged yourself to the bathroom, pushing open the door and staring at the woman in the mirror. Her [Eye Color] eyes were pools of worry and doubt. She didn’t have the best skin out there, acne wise. Her [Hair type] hair was pulled back in a high [Puff/Ponytail], it wasn’t too long, but it wasn’t too short. She frowned. She was average in every sense of the word. Not traditionally beautiful, but not ugly. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The voice in the back of your head sneered at her. <em> Don’t tell me you actually think you have a chance with him? You, who for every guy she’s interested in has to wonder if he's into [Your Race] girls? Don't make me laugh. </em> The voice hissed. A pang made itself known in your heart. The voice wasn’t wrong, as much as a bitch as she was. You knew you weren’t the standard, and you made peace with that, as hard as it was. It created major problems for you as a child, seeing fair skin and blonde haired people as the beauty standard. You remembered every night you would scroll through the internet, wishing you <em>weren’t you. </em> You grimaced at the thought of what your younger self would think of you now. Still insecure, still coming to terms that she wasn’t the standard. <em> Still pinning after men she couldn’t have. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>You shook your head, pushing the memory to the back of your mind. You quickly splashed water on your face and reached for the paper towels. You took the last one, which deeply confused you. You were sure you ordered at least fifty new rolls last month. Taking one last glance at your reflection, you exited the bathroom. You glanced at the handsome stranger’s seat. His stuff was still there, but he was nowhere to be found. You cocked your eyebrow. Where did he--</p>
<p>Before you had a chance to finish your thought, a hard body collided with yours. You yelped in surprise as warm liquid spilled on your chest and arms. You stumbled back, frowning at your ruined top and coffee covered arms. Anger bubbled in your chest and clawed its way up to your throat as you looked up at the person who spilled their coffee all over you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Familiar cyan orbs stared back at your [Eye Color] ones. The anger died on your tongue as you could only stare at the man in front of you. Jeez, he was much taller close-up. He had to be at least six-two. His reflected surprise and acute worry as he quickly hung up whoever he was talking to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My apologies,” Came his deep voice. Butterflies--no,<em> dragonflies</em>--flapped their wings violently in your stomach.  “I should have been paying attention to where I was walking.” He started. He opened his arms slightly and looked down at his ruined outfit. He looked back up at with a sheepish smile. You weren't the only one who got coffee all over you, as a good portion of the warm beverage was on his suit as well. A blush kissed at your cheeks as you snatched your eyes away from his. He probably didn’t mean to, but his eyes were staring into your soul.</p>
<p>You cleared your throat and gathered your thoughts. "No, No. It's fine. I wasn't being the most vigilant either." You said slowly in a joking tone. A chuckle left the man's lips, causing the dragonflies to go crazy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"We should probably go find something to clean ourselves up, yes?" You nodded, stiffly turning around to face the bathrooms until you remembered that there weren't any paper towels. You shifted your gaze to the staff room. Your eyes immediately connected with Krista's, a knowing smirk on her face as she drew a heart in the air with her finger. Blood sprinted up to your face as you tore your eyes away from her. Was she teasing you? You shook your head, making your way behind to the staffroom. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The tall man trailed behind you, nervousness growing inside you with every step the male took. You pushed open the door to let him in before walking in yourself. The room was small, with a small table in the middle of the box-like structure (Which was a spicy book your read in your spare time) and extras, such as mops, cutlery, and paper towels.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Sorry again for this," You said, walking to the back of the room where the spare paper towels were. The male leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets. "It's okay, really." Came the man's reply. "I'm just glad my meeting was before this." You gave hm a shy smile before turning to the paper-towels, which of course was on the highest shelf. <em>Just my freakin' luck</em>, you thought bitterly. You got on the tips of your toes, reaching for the roll. Of course, you couldn't reach. For the third time today, embarrassment washed over you.  You slowly turned, only to see the amused face of the blonde-haired man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Don't look at me like that," you murmured, causing another chuckled to resonate within the man's chest.     </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Would you like some help?" He spoke, finally.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You slowly fell back to the balls of your feet, rubbing your hand on your neck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Yes, please." You said, sheepishly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blonde man pushed himself off the wall, taking off his layers. He placed his black coat and suit jacket on the table. <em>Lord have mercy, </em>You thought to yourself as your eyes wandered down his torso. His white dress shirt hugged his muscular body. His arms and chest almost looked pronounced,  walking over to you. Immediately, you were hit with his masculine scent. He smelled expensive, with a hint of... rosewood? The man reached up and grabbed the paper towels, smiling down at you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I hope you won't mind sharing with me." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You smiled back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He ripped a piece of the brown paper towel off for himself before handing the roll to you. You quietly thanked the taller man before ripping off a piece for yourself. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Silence filled the air, save for the sound of the stranger pressing the paper towel against his chest and abdomen, and you cleaning off your arms. You shifted nervously in the silence. <em>Isn't this what you wanted?</em>  The voice in the back of your head taunted. <em>And now you cant even have a conversation with him. Embarrassing.</em> You glared at nothing in particular.  You were getting real fed up with that voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Is this yours?"  The stranger asked, picking up a copy of <em>"The Rainy Day</em>" that sat on the table. He inspected the book, flipping through it. Your eyes widened and you froze. The book was a romance novel, an <em>adult</em> book at that. Did he know it? Jeez, could you be any more embarrassed?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After not hearing a response from you, the man looked back down at your book. "I suppose I shouldn't expect everyone to be into literature--"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It's mine." You said a little too quickly. <em>Pick me, fine stranger I just met! Pick me!</em> Your subconscious sang in your head. You ignored it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It's wonderfully written, underrated as it is. You have good taste."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You don't strike me as a guy who would be into those types of books though," You teased, crossing your arm over your chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He laughed before his lips settled into a handsome smirk. "And what type of guy do I strike you as?" He mused, turning to face you. T<em>he type that should be in between my legs- </em>The dragonflies in your stomach came back after that thought. Jeez, down girl.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Is it a cheap out to say the serious, business type?" You replied, taking a step towards him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You're not wrong." He said, giving you an amused stare. "Though I must admit, you don't look like the type of woman to be into such books either." Something inside you ignited when he called you "woman".</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You let out a laugh before throwing your arms out and leaning against the shelf. "Please, feel free to psychoanalyze me." You joked. The stranger took a step towards you, his blue eyes taking their time to trail down your frame. Shivers ran down your body. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You're humble, but you like to be noticed for the work you've done, I'm guessing it's because you might've been underestimated a lot in your life. You're kind, judging from the fact that that elderly man had a speech impediment and took about two minutes to order a coffee, yet you never rushed him. Might it be because you know how it feels to never be heard?" He said after a while, asking the last part to himself, mostly. You were surprised. He watched you take that man's order? How could he tell these things from a simple observation? You paused. Just how long had he been watching you? He took another step towards you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I noticed you give out orders to the other employees, but I've never seen you receive any. I'm guessing you hold a position of authority in the shop," he took another step towards you. "Manager, perhaps? The shop is small, I've never seen this coffee shop in another location. Maybe 'the owner' is more appropriate." He was less than a foot away now. "My final answer is that you've always wanted to open a shop yet people have always underestimated your abilities. After you finally managed to do so, you treated the employees and customers the way you wished you were treated. Though content with the shop you have now, you want to expand the place," He was standing right in front of you, that delicious smell encapsulating you one again. His lively cyan eyes held your own [Eye Color] ones captive. "You want to show those who doubted you that this is only the beginning. I take back my statement before, maybe you are the type to read those books."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>By the time he was finished with his analysis of you, your eyes were wide and your hand had flown over your mouth. He was... incredibly spot on. You had grown up in a not so ideal neighborhood. Your folks weren't formally educated, neither were they the 'loving' type. It was like they wanted to pass on the generational curse of poverty onto you. You rejected that, however, growing a love for baking and cooking in your teenage years. At twenty-four, here you were with your own shop. And this was far from your goal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Your hand slowly fell from your mouth. You let out a surprised laugh. "I have to admit, I didn't think you were going to be serious... How in the world did you know all of that?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The man shrugged. "It's my part of my job to make decisions and determine people's true intentions. Also, hypothetically, of course, would it surprise you to know that I might have been watching you?" You probably should've been creeped out, but you had also been watching him for the past four months. The tables have <em>definitely</em> turned. A blush settled on your face once again and you looked away from the stranger's intense eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I have to say, I'm impressed." You said with a laugh.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The man's smile widened when he saw yours. "My name is Erwin Smith."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Erwin. It was a European name for sure, as it was pronounced <em>Er-Vhin. </em>It fit him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You bit your lip as an attempt to stop your smile from getting any wider. "[Name]." You told him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"My name is [Name] [Last name]." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                                                                                                             </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <span class="u"><strong>2| THE PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS OF A BUSINESSMAN.</strong></span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The chilly, dry air of your open window caressed are your skin. Goosebumps pricked at your arms and legs, even though you were under a thick blanket. You nuzzled deeper into the covers, trying your best to preserve any amount of heat you could. After you hand successfully rolled yourself into a ball with no guarantee of retaining heat, you opened your groggy eyes and sighed.</p><p> </p><p>You weren’t ashamed to admit you had replayed the conversation between yourself and the handsome blonde in your shop an embarrassing amount of times in your head, suffering you to get limited sleep. Who could blame you though? What, with the man’s striking bright orbs, gentleman-like actions, and intoxicating scent? Who could resist a man like that? You had always thought men like him were only found in fictional worlds, yet here you were.</p><p> </p><p>You let out an embarrassing squeal before throwing your blanket over your head. Jeez, it felt like you were in high school all over again, only Erwin was a much better choice than any boy your high school had to offer. What was wrong with you? You had only talked to the man one time, and he had left you with your cheeks rosy and a dorky grin on your face. It would annoy you if your brain had stopped replaying the man’s deep, rich voice in your skull over and over. This whole situation was embarrassing.</p><p> </p><p>Peeking your head out of your blankets, you looked towards your phone. It was nine forty-five. You groaned. You only had a couple more minutes until your bell rang—five, to be exact. You might as well get up now. You disabled the alarm before the screeching noise had the chance to scare you into next week. You had a lot of things to do today.</p><p> </p><p>Ignoring the piercing cold weather, you pushed out of your blankets before swinging your bare legs over your mattress. Walking over to the window, you mustered all the elbow grease you had and forced the damn thing down. You struggled, and it took a couple of minutes but eventually, you could no longer feel the cold bite of the air outside.</p><p> </p><p>Nodding to yourself in satisfaction, you turned and started to be ready for your day.</p><p> </p><p>After you had showered and brushed your teeth, you made the striking effort to do your hair. You told yourself and that pesky voice in the back of your head that you happened to want a change, of course, you knew deep down what the real motive behind your actions was. After struggling with your [bedheaded/shrunken] strands, you had finally managed to slick your hair down into a neat low bun. It took a lot of willpower and gel to get it done, but it paid off. You spritzed yourself down in your regular body spray and applied a generous coat of lip gloss to your lips.</p><p> </p><p>You looked at the woman in the mirror. You admit, you did look better than the day before. Quite beautiful, if you did say so yourself.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em>I wonder if women like Historia have to do all this to be considered beautiful. Maybe there’s a reason Erwin conversed with her first.</em>’ The voice in the back of your head said in a petty tone. You felt yourself tense up after that thought.</p><p> </p><p>Shaking your head, you pushed the voice to its rightful place at the back of your mind. Today wasn’t the day for you to be insecure.</p><p> </p><p>To say you were excited about work would be an understatement—and a phrase you never thought you would be uttering. You walked into your cozy little shop. There must’ve been something on your face the way your employees were staring at you. You quickly went to the staff room to relieve yourself of your jacket. Since you were humming, you could barely hear the door open and close.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, are you high or something?” You heard a feminine voice ask from behind you. “Because if you are, I won’t tell the others.”</p><p> </p><p>Historia stares at you with a cocked eyebrow and a hand in her narrow waist.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” You asked her, raising your own eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t take this the wrong way, you look like a literal goddess all the time, but the sleek low bun? Lip Gloss? The weird grin you’ve been giving yourself since you walked in—“</p><p> </p><p>You rolled your eyes at her jokingly.</p><p> </p><p>“If I didn’t know any better I would think that something happened between you and the blonde guy from yesterday.” She teased.</p><p> </p><p>You shut your locker, trying to ignore the heat licking at your cheeks and ears. “What, I can’t have a style change anymore?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know a crush when I see one, [Name].” She said, wagging a finger at you. “This is a crush. Big time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you need glasses?” You shot back at her. The blonde hair woman gave you a mock surprised look as you walked out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>You said your ‘Good morning’ to your employees before taking your place at the cash register. Today you felt like taking orders, although it was close to the doors and the chilly air found its way to your being.</p><p> </p><p>‘You just want to see Erwin when he walks in,’ that pesky voice said. That was ridiculous. Sure, you had a crush, but that was taking it too far.</p><p>…</p><p>Okay, maybe you did want to be the first one to see the blonde-haired man. Maybe you were constantly looking at the clock. He usually came around four, but who was keeping track? Maybe you were thinking of all the conversations the both of you could have. Anyways, sure you had a crush, but hey, who wouldn’t do these things? You leaned over the counter, resting chin on your palms before stealing another glance at the clock.</p><p> </p><p>You could wait.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>One hour blended into two and two into four. The hour of his usual arrival came quickly. You stared at the door like a hawk, heart beating. You were a bit surprised and deflated when four-thirty came and went without any sign of your handsome stranger, but you didn’t show it. Business continued as usual.</p><p> </p><p>Four fifty.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing.</p><p> </p><p>Five o'clock.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing.</p><p> </p><p>Seven o'clock.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing</p><p> </p><p>Erwin never came to the shop that day.</p><p> </p><p>In fact, he didn’t make an appearance for the next two days after that. You went home those days with a weird ache in your chest.</p><p> </p><p>Serves you right for getting your hopes up.</p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>After a few days, your hope quickly dwindled for the blonde-haired man to come back. You brushed off the feelings of rejection and disappointment in the first few days of his extended vacation from the shop. It hurt, sure, but maybe it was a sign that he wasn’t what you were supposed to be worried about. Still, why hadn’t he returned? In your four months of—well, you didn’t want to say watching, it sounded creepy—noticing him, he was extremely consistent. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn’t come to your shop, even if it was for a mere coffee. Did he find a new shop? Your stomach dropped.</p><p> </p><p>Was he really just not into [your race] girls?</p><p> </p><p>You shook your head. That was a bit dramatic, maybe he was helping bury his deceased grandmother or something. Why did you always jump to the worst possible conclusion?</p><p> </p><p>You sighed, your focus returning to your computer. Whatever, you had more pressing things to worry about other than your failing love life. Much like what Erwin had said when he had previously psychoanalyzed you, you were trying to expand your brand. Make the name your name and what you had to offer known in the world. You knew you had the potential and the drive to make it big, but first, you had to get someone to invest in you. That was the hard part. It was hard to get a business to take you seriously when despite having great service and delicious food, you were a small and relatively unknown brand.</p><p> </p><p>You sighed and rubbed your temple, getting a headache from all the paperwork you needed to get done. You turned to your laptop, the pad of your finger teasing the scroll wheel. You had called many agencies and businesses. Most of them had said they would call you back, but much like your blonde businessman, they had never gotten back to you. You frowned. It seemed like everyone was ghosting you these days, Jeez.</p><p> </p><p>Your mind wandered off to the blonde man again. He was undoubtedly a businessman. You wondered where he worked. You chuckled at the thought of him selling cars.</p><p> </p><p>A knock sounded at your door, forcing you out of your thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>You looked up towards the wooden portal. “Come in!”</p><p> </p><p>A familiar blonde woman poked her head inside of your door. “You’ve been cooped up in your office for days now,” she piqued, allowing the rest of her body to enter the small room.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>You waved your hand at her. “I’m just trying to find an investor. No one is calling me back if you wanted to know.” You told her, muttering the last part to yourself.</p><p> </p><p>You heated Historia sigh. “You’ll find one eventually, I’m sure of it.” She reassured you. You offered her a thankful smile, leaning your forehead on your palm.</p><p> </p><p>Silence reigned for a couple of seconds before Historia spoke up again.</p><p> </p><p>“So, how are you feeling about mister eyebrows?” she joked, plopping down in a chair across from you.</p><p> </p><p>“Eyebrows?” You echoed. The man did have a pair of thick but neatly kept eyebrows.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, Eyebrows! Gee, have you seen those things? Anyways, I have to admit, I didn’t think you were into older guys, not to talk of white ones at that.” She mused, poking your arms.</p><p> </p><p>You shrugged your shoulders lazily, not taking your eyes from your monitor. “Me either.” You replied simply. “And he doesn’t look that much older than me.”</p><p> </p><p>“[Name], you just turned twenty-four. That man looks to be at least in his mid-thirties.”</p><p> </p><p>You raised your eyes to meet hers. “People have parents with a larger gap than ours.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you just say you wanted to have his kids?”</p><p> </p><p>Your eyes widened as an image of a shirtless Erwin on top of you, his cheeks tinted red and a dark look in his intense eyes. You let out an embarrassing sound.</p><p> </p><p>“Why would you say that?!”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re the one who implied it!”</p><p> </p><p>You eventually calmed down, leaning back on your chair.</p><p> </p><p>“I take it you’re not moping anymore? I’m sure he’ll come back eventually.” Historia asked.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not like you and Ymir, Historia.” You told her, playing with your fingers. “Not all of us have the luxury of having someone that would do anything for them.”</p><p> </p><p>At the sound of her partner’s name, the blonde blushed. She opened her mouth to say something when there was a knock at the door. You and her both looked towards the noise.</p><p> </p><p>Historia blinked before looking back at you. After giving her an affirming nod, she got up and opened the door. It was another one of your employees. She had an intense grin on her face as she grabbed Historia and dragged her out of the room, closing the door behind her.</p><p> </p><p>You cocked your eyebrows before refocusing your attention on the screen. Not even a few moments after she left, Historia burst back into your office.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, what th—?!” You paused, eyeing the impish grin on her face.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s with the look?” You asked in a suspicious voice, narrowing your eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I told you he would come back,” She said simply in a singsong voice. Your heart jolted sharply after the blonde woman finished her sentence. Was she talking about--?!<em> Now</em> he wanted to come back after you had already convinced yourself that he wasn’t good for you? You slowly lowered your eyes to the black screen of your monitor. Why was your heartbeat so rapid? Was the heater on, or were you just sweating for no reason? You blinked, shaking your head. He was just a man--an incredibly hot and muscular man-but a man nonetheless. There was no reason for your body to be betraying you like this!</p><p> </p><p>You cleared your throat, looking back at the smirking woman. “Well, what are you waiting for?” You asked her, your voice full of faux nonchalance. “He’s a regular customer. Take his order already.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh no, you don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Historia made her way behind your desk, prying you out of your chair.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve been moping for a whole week now.<em> You</em> are going to take his order!” Despite her small stature, she was surprisingly strong.</p><p> </p><p>“Breath check.” She demanded. You gave her a weird look before breathing on her face.</p><p> </p><p>She instantly recoiled, wrinkling her nose.</p><p> </p><p>“Goodness, [Name]! Coffee breath!”</p><p> </p><p>You looked at her, flustered. “I'm sorry! I was stressed out looking for an investor!”</p><p> </p><p>Historia sighed, rolling her eyes. She fisted her hand inside her pocket and fished out a piece of minty gum. She forced it into your hand. You frowned at her before unwrapping and chewing it.</p><p> </p><p>Your heart sprinted in your chest as Historia pulled you out of your office and towards the cash register. You felt your cheeks heat up as your eyes landed on the tall form of a particular blue-eyed man. He was much better looking in person than in memory. He stood at the register one hand lazily in his pocket and the other gripping a black phone at his ear. He appeared to be talking with somebody. Though, judging by the firmness in his voice and the authority in his tone, he was giving orders. He wore a pristine white button-up shirt that hugged his chest and arms, with his black suit jacket draped over his arm. His black tie was loosened. You briefly wondered if he had just got off of work. Black pants adorned his long legs with a pair of expensive-looking shoes.</p><p> </p><p><em>Damn</em>.</p><p> </p><p>You almost yelped as you felt Historia push you behind the counter. You turned to curse her when those electrifying blue eyes caught yours. An attractive smile grew on his face. You felt your heart jump again. You cursed yourself in your mind as you smiled back. You weren't a schoolgirl. He said his goodbyes to wherever he was talking to and hung up.</p><p> </p><p>“If I had waited any longer, I’m afraid I would've spent my lunch break starving.” His rich voice said in a teasing tone as he raised an eyebrow at you.</p><p> </p><p>“Look who’s talking,” You replied, leaning your elbow against the counter. “Mister Elusive himself.” You pulled a spare waiter’s pad and pen out of the drawer. “We missed you for the past few days, I hope you haven’t been cheating on us with another cafe?” You teased.</p><p> </p><p>He looked down as a chuckle fell past his lips. You ignored the violent dragonflies in your stomach.</p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t dream of it. Your cafe has a special place in my heart.” He said, raising his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm, that’s what all men say after they’ve been unloyal,” You joked, cocking your head to the side. You opened the pad.</p><p> </p><p>“What can I get for you, sir?” You knew what he wanted, he ordered the same thing every time he came. However, you didn’t want him to know that you knew about his preferences. He had quite the sweet tooth.</p><p> </p><p>“What, I haven’t been coming here long enough for me to have a ‘usual’?” He mused.</p><p> </p><p>You looked up at him. “I haven’t always been your server, sir.” Was it an appropriate time to use his name, or was that too personal? You wanted to look cool and make him think you weren’t pinning after him for four months and counting, but not rude as to make him think you forgot his name. ‘Dang, you really are pathetic.’ You subconscious laughed.</p><p> </p><p>He looked at you for a while, the corners of his lips widening. You looked back.</p><p> </p><p>“A large black coffee with two pumps of sugar and Heaven’s Slice, medium.” He said finally. A ‘heavens slice’ was a slice of cake, mixing both the flavors of chocolate and red velvet. It was a recipe you had learned in your early teen years.</p><p> </p><p>You nodded, writing what he said down. You didn’t pay much attention to how bad your shaking hands were messing up your writing. “Ten fifty,” You said finally.</p><p> </p><p>The man reached into his pocket, pulling out a black leather wallet. You controlled the urge to widen your eyes as he opened it.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em>Fine <strong>and</strong> he has bank?! MARRY ME</em>!’ That voice screamed in your head. For once, you actually agreed with her.</p><p> </p><p>You quickly glanced away from his wallet before he had the chance to notice you gawking. He pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to you. As you went to collect the money, your fingers brushed across his warm knuckles. You cringed internally, worrying too much to savor the moment. Could he tell that your palms had been sweating?</p><p> </p><p>You gave him his change before finally looking back up at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Coming right up, Erwin.” You smiled.</p><p> </p><p>His thick eyebrow quirked at you saying his name. “You remembered.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why would I forget?” You asked. You felt your stomach sink. “What, did you forget my name already? It’s--”</p><p> </p><p>“[Name].” He finished your sentence for you. “[Name] [Last Name].”</p><p> </p><p>Your eyes widened slightly. He remembered. You were truly speechless for a couple of seconds as his intense eyes stared into yours. You cleared your throat.</p><p> </p><p>“You remembered,” You echoed.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm not one to forget.”</p><p> </p><p>You looked at the man for a few more seconds before smiling at him and awkwardly shuffling away.</p><p> </p><p>You went into the back, your body colliding with a smaller one.</p><p> </p><p>“So, how did it--Woah, [Name], you look flustered.”</p><p> </p><p>“[Girl, I have dark skin how can you tell?/ Is it really that obvious?]” You asked, slapping your palms over your burning cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>“I can practically feel the heat radiating off your face. Pull yourself together!” She teased, walking past you to wait on her own customers.</p><p> </p><p>Taking a deep breath, you proceeded to get the blonde man his order. You filled up his coffee container and cut him a generous slice of the sugary cake. You balanced his plate and drink on a black platter before walking towards him.</p><p> </p><p>He was of course sitting in his usual seat. His handsome face was scrunched in a look of concentration as he typed away on his white MacBook. He had set his suit jacket behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“A large black coffee, and ‘Heaven’s Slice’,” He looked up at you from his computer.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, [Name]. You have thoroughly made my day.”</p><p> </p><p>You smiled at him, turning to leave before your eyes caught something particular. A simple yellow book sat on the table in front of Erwin’s computer, along with some others you weren’t particularly worried about. Without thinking, your hand reached out to touch the glossy cover of the paperback book.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em>T</em><em>HE ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY OF A BUSINESSMAN</em>’</p><p> </p><p>You couldn’t believe he had a copy. You had been looking everywhere for that book, even on amazon. However, wherever you decided to look, it always seemed to be sold out. The book itself was about a famous businessman of your time, Dot Pyxis. He wrote it himself, and from what you heard, it went into detail about the ups and downs of the industry, and steps to make it as big as him. It had just come out a couple of weeks ago, too.</p><p> </p><p>You retracted your fingertips from the book before glancing at Erwin. He was typing away at his laptop, seemingly unaware your actions.</p><p> </p><p>You purse your lips to the side and look at the book again. You wanted to read it so bad, to add it to your growing collection of the business industry guidelines, but you felt awkward asking this man you just met to borrow his book--especially if he appeared to be a businessman himself. The book could help you in so many ways to expand your brand. You shifted your weight, tucking the platter underneath your arm. Building up the courage, you looked back up at the blonde man. You nearly jumped out of your skin when you saw those electric pools of blue staring back at you. He was giving you an amused look.</p><p> </p><p>“What, are you scared to ask, now? Am I that intimidating?” He chuckled. You looked back at him, flustered.</p><p> </p><p>“No, that’s not it!” You waved your hands. “You just looked so… I don’t know, focused? Plus, I didn’t want to take the book from someone who’s actually in the industry.” Erwin cut himself a piece of cake while you were talking and ate.</p><p> </p><p>“I was just finishing a report for work,” He said finally. He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “It’s been on the agenda for the last couple of days now. Every time I look at it my mood drops.” You looked at him with a surprised gaze, covering your laughs with your hand.</p><p> </p><p>The corners of his lips lifted in a slight smile.”So please, feel free to distract me from it at any time.” You smiled at him, quickly averting your eyes from his intense gaze.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, since you asked so nicely…” You trailed off, reaching towards the book “May I?” He gestured to the book in question as confirmation.</p><p> </p><p>You grinned, dropping the platter on the table first before taking the book in your greedy hands. You quickly sat opposite of him. You crossed your legs, placing the book in your lap. It had the new book smell. For some reason, it made you nostalgic. A small smile touched your lips as you opened the cover.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em>Whether your business fails or succeeds is in the power of your charm. Even if you decide to sell the secrets of life, if you don’t know how to advertise, you are destined to suffer defeat. -Dot Pyxis, CEO of Pyxis Industries</em>’</p><p> </p><p>You nearly fangirled after reading the first page of the book. Jeez, you wished your business was big enough for people to quote you. The pad of your index finger eagerly flipped to the next page.</p><p> </p><p>Your eyes greedily latched on to the words of the first chapter, drinking in all the information you could. Unconsciously, the thumb of your right hand came to sit softly on your bottom lip as you read.</p><p> </p><p>A few minutes had passed before you realized you were still at work reading Erwin’s book. You had completely gotten lost in the book. You closed the book, mentally bookmarking your page. Finally, you looked up.</p><p> </p><p>Erwin was still typing away at his computer, this time with a sheet of paper in his large hand. His plate was empty, save for a few crumbs. You quietly put the book behind his laptop.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah, I’ve been wondering,” you cringed internally at your voice, feeling bad for distracting him again. His vivid eyes flickered up to you.</p><p> </p><p>“You look like a pretty well off guy and you said it yourself that you’re a businessman, so where do you work?”</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t say anything for a while before his lips quirked up in a slight smirk.</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t tell?” He asked, amused.</p><p> </p><p>You blinked at him. “I can’t read minds, Erwin.” His name felt right on your tongue. You leaned forward, placing your elbows on the table. “Not everyone is as observant as you.”</p><p> </p><p>He chuckled at that. “If you haven’t realized already, I doubt you would know it.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not true,” You pouted. “I know a lot of top brand businesses, like Pyxis Industries, TITAN, Smith Corps,” You rambled. “I have to know a lot if I want to find an investor.”</p><p> </p><p>He looked at you in amusement but he didn’t say anything. His amused smile widened as he leaned his cheekbone on his knuckles.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, are you in the mafia or something?” You asked, your eyebrows raising. It did make sense since he seemed to be deliberately keeping where he worked to himself. But then again, the blonde man didn’t seem like the type to be interested in that kind of stuff.</p><p> </p><p>Erwin laughed. “No, [Name], I am not in the mafia.” He raised his thick eyebrow. “And even if I was, you wouldn’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Ooh</em>, ominous.” You teased. “But I’m serious, where does the famous Erwin Smith work?” You tilted your head. “Smith Corps?” You joked. You had briefly wondered if he owned the largely successful business but quickly shot the idea down. Smith was a pretty common last name, and there was no way the CEO of the company would get his lunch and/or breakfast from your small cafe when he had millions of better and richer establishments at his fingertips.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, actually.” He said, giving you a look like he knew something you didn’t.</p><p> </p><p>“Woah, lucky!” You said in awe. Smith Corps was a large and very successful business, comparable to Pyxis Incorporations. In fact, the two were in competition. Smith Corps was known for taking smaller, lesser-known businesses and revamping them. With the large business endorsing them, the smaller company is virtually guaranteed to succeed. Other than that, the company is lesser known for its inventions, such as 3DMS which they sold to the military in partnership. The business was basically Tesla’s twin. That was the main reason you had made sure to include them amongst the first investor choices for your cafe.</p><p> </p><p>“Have you asked any of those companies?” Erwin asked, quickly changing the subject.</p><p> </p><p>You looked at him in confusion.</p><p> </p><p>“For them to invest in you,” He clarified. You leaned back in your chair. “Yeah…” you trailed off. “I’ve called most of the big ones already, but I haven’t gotten a call or an email back.” You said sheepishly, shrugging. You never understood why they would tell you that they would get back to you but they never did. Was your cafe that insignificant? “Gosh, I wish someone would’ve told me finding an investor would be this hard.” You said in a joking tone.</p><p> </p><p>Erwin seemed surprised at this. “You called them already? Even Smith Corps?”</p><p> </p><p>You looked at him. “Yeah, why?”</p><p> </p><p>Erwin seemed to be in thought for a couple of seconds before waving his hand. “...Nothing, I was just surprised, is all. I would’ve thought they would get back to you by now.” He said in a thoughtful voice.</p><p> </p><p>“I know, right?” You agreed. “If you aren’t interested in what I have to offer at least shoot me an email about it,” you complained.</p><p> </p><p>Erwin nodded silently to himself before his phone buzzed on the table. He turned his attention to the device.</p><p> </p><p>You took that as your cue to leave.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I think I’ve wasted enough of your time.” You grabbed your platter, standing up.</p><p> </p><p>“Not at all.” Came Erwin’s response with a smile. You nodded at him before starting towards your office.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, [Name]?” he called from behind you.</p><p> </p><p>You turned. “Hmm?”</p><p> </p><p>“You seemed pretty interested in the book,” he started. “You can have it.”</p><p> </p><p>You looked at him in awe once again as your heart jumped.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, you mean that?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know the guy, I’m pretty sure I can get myself another copy.” He said with a slight smile.</p><p> </p><p>You slowly walked back to the table, his blue eyes never leaving you.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure you’re not in the mafia?” You teased, narrowing your eyes playfully.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that any way to thank me?” He replied, his smile turning into a smirk. Those damned dragonflies made their return to your stomach as you made your way back to the man’s table. He picked up the book before lifting it towards you. You reached for the book, taking in a subtle yet sharp breath when your fingers brushed against his.</p><p> </p><p>You took a step back, holding the book to your chest. Jeez, he could probably feel the heat radiating off your face.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, I really appreciate this.” You told him.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not a problem, really.” He said earnestly.</p><p> </p><p>Giving him a small wave, you turned and made your way back to your office.</p><p> </p><p>Historia was near the cash register, smirking at you knowingly. You bit your lip in embarrassment as you passed her.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Thanks, I really appreciate this</em>,” she mocked. Your already burning face seemed to get hotter as you hit her softly on her arm.</p><p> </p><p>“Historia!”</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, Erwin left, the minutes of his lunch break running out. You looked at his vacant seat longingly. Okay, you admitted it. You had a crush on the tall, blonde, businessman. A big one at that. When he was at the cafe, you had to physically stop yourself from staring at his soft-looking lips, or imagining how his muscular arms felt around you. You had come to terms with it. It was just a harmless crush, right?</p><p> </p><p><em> <strong>Oh, </strong> </em> <strong>if only you knew how <em>badly</em> he would wreck you.</strong></p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. HS - PINEAPPLES</h2></a>
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  <span class="u"> <strong>3 - PINEAPPLES</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, <em> what </em>?” </p><p> </p><p>You stood in front of your bed, one knee on the dreamy softness of your mattress, and your other foot planted on your carpet. You were frozen, completely taken aback by what you had heard. Your fingers gripped the device at your ear, slightly trembling. Had you heard her correctly?</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Can you hear me? I said Smith Corps has reviewed your application to be a potential investee. We found your offer quite compelling and we are willing to set up an interview. What day works best for you?” </em></p><p> </p><p>Was this real life? Of all businesses they could have, <em> Smith Corps </em> wanted to invest in <em> you </em>? You remembered you had last contacted them about a month ago. What took so long to get back to you? Was this a prank of some sort? No, this was the real thing. You lowered your body onto your bed in a sitting position before you cleared your throat.</p><p> </p><p>“Y-Yes! I can hear you!” You replied in a bewildered and somewhat confused voice. “It’s just that I called weeks ago, you see.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> I understand, however, Smith Corps is a large company with multiple offers being submitted to us every single day. Forgive us if we seem slow to get to you specifically.” </em>The woman said on the other side.</p><p> </p><p>You shook your head, even though you knew she couldn’t see you. “No, I get it. I’m just glad I got a callback.” You laughed nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Right. So, what day works best for you?” </em></p><p> </p><p>You told the woman on the phone the information she wanted to know before you both said your goodbyes. Your thumb clicked on the red ‘end call’ button before you slid the device from your ear. You were just about to go to sleep after a long day of work. You had showered and everything. That was when you had received the life-changing phone call. What type of luck was that? You were quiet for a couple of seconds.</p><p> </p><p>You did it.</p><p> </p><p><em> Holy shit, </em> You did it!</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, you jumped out of your bed. You danced around your dimly lit room, shaking your behind and arms in what regular people would call a ‘happy dance.’ Your mind flashed with the image of your scowling mom and dad. Your ears rang with their harsh words after you had told them you were going into the business industry.</p><p> </p><p><em> “[Name], are you serious? You’ll never make it. Who do you think you are?” </em> </p><p> </p><p>Your heart sank as you remembered those words. You remembered your teenage self, locking herself in her bathroom. Her being shaking with anger and her eyes leaking with tears. You shook your head free of that memory. That was then. <em> This is now </em>.</p><p> </p><p>You looked towards your bed before your eyes got caught on something else.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Your computer. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>You did have a habit of over-researching things if there was such a thing. ‘<em> Screw sleep,’ </em> you thought, a grin forming on your lips. ‘ <em> I have some serious work to do.’  </em></p><p> </p><p> The glossy cover of the book Erwin graciously allowed you to have glinted in your dim bedside light, along with the plethora of other books you had bought over the years. You dropped to your knees, dragging a worn-out notebook from the inky darkness. Nodding your head in satisfaction, you pulled out a couple of pens before returning to your rightful place on your bed. You opened the cap of a black pen with your mouth before starting your research.</p><p> </p><p>You always had a habit of being over-prepared.</p><p> </p><p>Your eyes greedily took in information about the company. You learned that the current CEO was a huge philanthropist, despite how rich he was. They gave to world hunger organizations frequently, along with research centers, and sent money out to foreign nations. The numbers in which they did it was mind-blowing as well, giving in amounts damn near in the hundred-millions. It was rare for a regular person to donate, not to talk of a celebrity or a multi-billionaire CEO. You wrote the information you found down, making a mental note to bring this up during your interview when you buttered the CEO up. You went on to look up their stats and numbers about the business.</p><p> </p><p>Funnily enough, though, there was scarcely any information about the CEOs themselves. From what you’ve gathered, the current CEO was the son of the founder, Philip Smith. He passed a couple of years ago from a car crash. You winced, saying your regards underneath your breath. He looked like a nice man, with forehead lines and a gentle smile. The former CEO had shaggy dirty blonde hair and a trimmed beard. He wore rounded glasses that sat snugly on his European nose. His eyes were a beautiful shade of light blue. You stared at the picture from google images. You narrowed your eyes at the screen, turning your head slightly to the side. He looked extremely familiar for some reason, but you couldn't put your finger on it.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe you saw a commercial with him years ago?</p><p> </p><p>Shaking off the weird feeling, you cleared the search bar, your interest piqued in his son. After writing down a couple of notes, you typed ‘Current CEO of Smith Corps’ in the search bar. Your eyebrow raised. </p><p> </p><p>He went by E.Smith.</p><p> </p><p>You chuckled to yourself. He probably had some whiteboy name like Ethan. You managed to take some notes on him, as scarce as the info was. You pressed your lips together as you went through google photos. Jeez, did this man keep a low profile. All the pictures of him were either far away or blurry--like paparazzi took it. He was tall, from what you could see, but dark sunglasses and masks hid his face. You clicked through the pictures lazily. Maybe he was insecure or something.</p><p> </p><p>After you had finished with your research of Smith Corps, you turned to your books. Sighing, you reached for Dot Pyxis’. You were nowhere near what you deemed ready.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>You awakened to the shrill ringing of your phone. You groaned, lifting your head up from the harsh surface of your notebook. A string of drool connected your mouth to the papers of the notebook. You frowned. You must’ve fallen asleep. You let out a deep sigh before pushing yourself off the surface of your mattress. You winced, feeling a crook in your shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” You asked in a raspy voice, your eyes barely open. You scratched the side of your head, looking around at your room. The red-tinted sunlight streamed through your closed blinds. You realized your phone had stopped ringing. Shrugging, you turned back to your bed.</p><p> </p><p>You wished you hadn’t noticed so quickly as your phone started to ring again. You grimaced, feeling your ears strain.</p><p>
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</p><p>“I’m coming, damnit.” You mumbled, fishing in your blankets to receive the device.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>HISTORIA 👩🏼❤️wants to facetime…</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>You squinted at the screen before answering the call. Historia’s beautiful face popped up on the screen.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello?” You asked in a tired voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Girl, where have you been?” She asked. You could tell she was still at the shop. She probably had closing duty at this time. Whoops. </p><p> </p><p>“My house.” You said dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“I literally had to be your replacement today! You didn’t think to tell us you wouldn’t be coming in?” She whined. “Today was supposed to be my movie night with Ymir!”</p><p> </p><p>You groaned, running your fingers through your [Hair Type] hair. Shit, she did tell you about that. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah! I totally forgot.” You cursed yourself. “Forgive me?”</p><p> </p><p>The strawberry blonde pouted in the camera. “You’re lucky we’re friends,” </p><p> </p><p>You laughed in relief. “I'm so sorry, Historia. I just got a potential investor and--”</p><p> </p><p>“Investor?!” She echoed into the phone. “Woah, when was this?”</p><p> </p><p>You chuckled slightly to yourself. “Literally just last night! It was so out of the blue, too! Smith Corps--”</p><p> </p><p>“Smith Corps?!” She exclaimed, shaking her phone. “How--Girl--You--” She sputtered, not knowing which question to ask first. “You can tell me all about it tomorrow, but I’m about to lock up. Oh yeah, and the delivery for flour and new paper towels should be here in like ten minutes. I need you to sign off on it.”</p><p> </p><p>You groaned. “Historia,” You dragged out the last vowel of her name, dramatically falling back on your bed. “Sign it for me? Please?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s most definitely illegal. I would not like to catch a case so early in my life, thanks.” You glared playfully at her. You sighed and sat back up.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” You said in a flat tone. “I’ll be there in five minutes.” You were extremely blessed to find a building to open your shop in so near-by.</p><p> </p><p>You left your bed. After putting your hair in a protective hairstyle (because it seemed like your ends hated you), You slipped on a cropped oversized sweater and black leggings. You grabbed your keys, put on socks and slides before making your way to your door.</p><p> </p><p>******</p><p> </p><p>The delivery boy was there before you, oddly. Maybe it had to do with you dozing off in your car before you made your way to the cafe. After signing off for the delivery and putting the items where they belonged, your body decided to tell you that you were hungry with an unflattering growl.</p><p> </p><p>After deciding you were nobody to deny your stomach, you made your way to Walmart. There was nothing a can of pineapples couldn’t fix. You walked into the large store, immediately knowing where to go. You damn near sprinted to the canned fruits aisle (After grabbing yourself some Oreos, of course). You nearly cried as your eyes made contact with your beloved pineapples. That’s when you noticed it.</p><p> </p><p>It was on the top shelf. </p><p> </p><p>You weren’t all that tall, either. You frowned. Who’s idea was this? Shrugging, you dropped your phone, keys, and Oreos next to your feet. You’ll be damned if a tall shelf would keep you away from your pineapples. </p><p> </p><p>You lowered your body before launching up, jumping for your food. Your fingertips weren’t even close. Your cheeks burned as you looked around. The stare of an elderly man was on you. You waved at him shyly before turning back to what you came for. After a couple more attempts, you realized this wasn’t a good approach. You glared at the pineapples. </p><p> </p><p>Desperate times require desperate measures.</p><p> </p><p>Without thinking twice, you shook off your slides and placed your foot in the empty slider for another product. You let out a breath before placing your other foot in the shelf above it. You yelped as you felt yourself almost fall. Your hands quickly shot up to the shelves above you to center yourself. The cool air kissed the skin of your lower back and stomach when your sweater lifted up. You let out a relieved sigh, feeling your heartbeat settle. Putting your [Eye Color] eyes back on the canned delicacy, you reached towards it.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you need some help?” The elderly voice from before asked. You grunted, climbing up slightly further. </p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m good.” You replied dismissively to him, not bothering to look behind you. </p><p> </p><p>“Miss, are you s--”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” You cut him off quickly, reaching as far as your body would let you. You felt your irritation subdue when you heard the hesitant retreating footsteps of the man.</p><p> </p><p>You felt your fingertips graze the can and you internally rejoiced. It was so close, yet so <em> so </em> far. Your irritation returned when you heard footsteps near you.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re going to fall.” A voice said from behind you.</p><p> </p><p>You huffed, furrowing your brows. “Look, Gramps,” You started, turning. “I told you, I don’t need your--”</p><p> </p><p>You paused when you were met with the amused face of Erwin. The breath seemed to leave your lungs as your face started to burn. Was this real? Did he really catch you climbing shelves like a child? You stared back at his calm face, flustered. With your enhanced height, you were as tall as him, if not, a couple of inches taller.</p><p> </p><p>“Erwin?!” You sputtered.</p><p> </p><p>“Gramps? I’m hurt. You don’t see me as that old, do you?” He said with the slight tilt of his head, his beautiful pink lips parting in an amused smile. </p><p> </p><p>He was wearing a simple black shirt that hugged his muscular arms and chest. Slight veins ran down his forearms, becoming pronounced as they fed into his hands. You noticed he had a sprinkle of blonde hair on his forearms. His strong wrist was wrapped in an expensive-looking silver watch. His long legs were adorned with grey sweatpants. It was the first time you had seen him so casual.</p><p> </p><p><em> Goodness </em>, he was handsome.</p><p> </p><p>Your mouth opened and closed like a fish before you realized the depth of the embarrassing situation you were in. Not only were you caught climbing the shelves of a <em> fucking </em> Walmart trying to grab some pineapples, but your hair was a mess, and your backside was practically exposed to him. Crap, how long had he been watching you?</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not what it looks like!” You said quickly, looking between the handsome man and your grip on the shelves.</p><p> </p><p>He raised a thick eyebrow at you.</p><p> </p><p>“It looks like you are climbing these shelves for a can of pineapples.” He concluded, glancing towards the said can. His vivid eyes landed back on you as a chuckle left his throat.</p><p> </p><p>“But perhaps I’m mistaken. If that’s not the case, please, enlighten me on what is.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>You held back an embarrassing squeak at his attractive smile, turning back to the shelves. You let your forehead fall against cool plastic. </p><p> </p><p>“This can’t be happening,” You whispered to yourself, your palms starting to sweat. You turned around again. Erwin was still there, the amused smirk still on his face. Damnit! It wasn’t a hallucination!</p><p> </p><p>You gave him a nervous smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, It is what it looks like.” You confessed slowly. </p><p> </p><p>Erwin glanced at the can again. “I can get it for you if you’d like. I’m not sure how much longer that shelf is going to hold you.”</p><p> </p><p>You turned back, getting tired of straining your neck. You lowered your arms so they rested on the plastic shelves. You nodded slowly.</p><p> </p><p>“If you would be so kind…” You muttered. </p><p> </p><p>You felt a hard chest against your back. A muscular, pale arm grabbed the can of pineapples. His expensive scent filled the air around you. It was a masculine smell, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it. Warmth emanated from him, and for a second, you didn't ever want to leave this position.</p><p> </p><p>However, the world never did give you what you wanted.</p><p> </p><p>The tall, muscular body pulled away from you as you slowly turned around. Piercing blue eyes that you had grown to love stared back at you with a playful glint in them. His pink lips were pulled into a handsome smile.</p><p> </p><p>"We have got to stop meeting like this."</p><p> </p><p>You smiled back at him, those dragonflies seeming to claim your stomach as their new home.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Finally, this nightmare was over. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>You turned back to the shelf you were gripping on to for dear life. You looked down, moving to place your feet back on the ground.</p><p> </p><p>You froze, feeling your foot firm in its position. You tried again. </p><p> </p><p>It wouldn’t budge.</p><p> </p><p>“What? Are you kidding me?” You exclaimed, your embarrassment growing by the second.</p><p> </p><p>You heard Erwin let out a laugh behind you. You turned to him, a flustered glare on your face.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah, Laugh it up, big guy!” You barked. After a couple of seconds, you gave up and let out a groan. You turned your head to the side.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you just going to stand there?” You asked him.</p><p> </p><p>His large hand rubbed his sharp jaw. “Okay, okay. I have an idea.” He said finally.</p><p> </p><p>“Well don’t just stand there! Help me down before anyone else sees me like this!”</p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t seem to have a problem with it a couple of minutes ago,” Erwin remarked. You heard him take a couple of steps closer to you, making your heartbeat beat against your ribcage like some wild animal.</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever, just help me already.” You said in a less confident voice.</p><p> </p><p>“If you feel uncomfortable at any point, please let me know.” He said slowly. You raised your eyebrow at the man’s cryptic words.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you talking--”</p><p> </p><p>You froze as you felt two large hands settle at the curve of your waist. Those dragonflies seemed to make your stomach their rightful home. Your breath got caught in your throat while your senses simultaneously went blank. A pleasant shiver ran down your spine. His hands were warm, the slight roughness of his palms tickling the skin of your sides exposed by your sweater. You suddenly become hyper-aware of how close he was to you. You swallowed a large lump in your throat.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to pull you out, is that okay, [Name]?”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell me if at any point it hurts.” His deep voice sounded right next to your ear.</p><p> </p><p>It was too intimate. Did he know what he was doing to you? You barely registered what he said as you gave him a stiff nod. Upon seeing your approval, he attempted to lift you. You could tell he was holding back all his strength as if he was trying hard not to hurt you. The thought made you feel ways you weren’t comfortable sharing.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, Your foot really is stuck.” He said in a thoughtful voice. You could feel his warm breath on the curve of your neck. “Hold on a second.”</p><p> </p><p>You nearly jumped out of your skin when his hands slid down from your waist. The tall man had lowered himself, settling on his knee. He moved his hands from your waist as he bent down. His right hand circled around your ankle, and the other resting a couple of inches above your knee on your <em>inner</em> <em>thigh</em>. You completely stiffened, the breath in your lungs disappearing. Your sense of touch seemed to heighten at that moment, feeling nothing but the larger man’s hands on your legs, one of which was particularly close to the place in between your thighs. You never wished to be invisible more in your life. You twitched as the man worked to free your foot. He was so close. Should you tell him that his hand was extremely close to your-.. Uhm..<em>private area</em>? Wait, no. That was a bad idea. Then he would know that you were mildly aroused by a <em>freakin’ </em>touch. You blinked. Mildly was a generous term. What if he was doing this on purpose? Was he just being a gentleman as he usually was? You let out a shaky breath discreetly. Finally, he managed to free you. Quickly, you hopped down from the shelves.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks.” You said in a voice barely above a whisper. You were sure he could feel the heat radiating off your face. Without looking up at him, you quickly bent down to pick up your Oreos, Phone, and keys. You could still feel his hands on your waist and thigh. In moments like this, you wished you weren't a bumbling schoolgirl-like fool when it came to men. You wished you had the confidence to turn around, smirk in his face, and flirt with him. You wished you had the charm to make his knees as weak as yours. </p><p> </p><p>“I hope all that was worth this.” He mused, holding the can in his long fingers.</p><p> </p><p>You snatched the can from him. “Someone <em> clearly </em> hasn’t had canned pineapples.” You remarked, raising up to your full height. You mustered up the courage to look at him.</p><p> </p><p>“How did you know it was <em> me </em>climbing, anyways?” You started, watching his eyebrows raise.. “It’s not like I looked the same,” you murmured. You could only imagine how crazy you looked from his perspective. Climbing up shelves, your back stretched and slightly arched to reach your maximum height, your legging covered behind on full display to anyone who walked by…</p><p> </p><p>You wondered if he snuck a peak.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t at first, I was on my way to the checkout when I saw this mildly familiar-looking figure climbing a shelf,” He started, putting one of his hands in his pockets.</p><p> </p><p>You laughed nervously, scratching the back of your head.</p><p> </p><p>He continued. “I thought to myself, surely that can’t be the woman at the coffee shop. The <em> mature </em> woman I spoke with just the other day.” He tilted his head to the side, amusement dancing in his cerulean orbs. </p><p> </p><p>“But then I heard your voice.” His lips parted in that breath-taking smirk again. You turned stiffly in embarrassment walking towards the end of the aisle and laughing nervously. “I need to buy this, so..!” You said in a voice that was probably unnecessarily loud. The tall blonde man trailed you, his steady footsteps increasing  your heartbeat once again.</p><p>You both  walked in silence towards the checkout. You squirmed in the uncomfortable silence. The background noise of the store did nothing to ease the awkwardness you felt. You forgot that although the man and you did have some interesting conversations, this was only your third time actually talking to him. You glanced at him under the cover of your lashes. He didn’t seem to mind the silence at all, walking next to you with his usual thoughtful look. You wondered what he was always thinking about.</p><p>Clearing your throat, you opened your mouth to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“So,” You started. “What were you doing here?” That was so lame. What was he doing at Walmart, [Name]? Good grief. </p><p> </p><p>The man gave you a curious look. “What else does anyone come to the store to do?” He asked.</p><p> </p><p>You fiddled with the can in your hands. “Right.” You mumbled, feeling shame wash over you. The sound of Erwin’s slight laughter invaded your senses, making your ears perk.</p><p> </p><p>“I was looking for some things for work. I ran out of staples and figured I might as well grab some other supplies too.” He told you, lifting the plastic walmart bag clenched in his large hand.</p><p>I</p><p>You nodded, feeling that awkward silence fall over you both again. You hated when that happened. Especially when it was with someone you were attracted to/liked. You wanted to hear his velvet-like voice more. Jeez, You wished you could skip the awkward phase already.</p><p> </p><p>“[Name],” You heard Erwin’s deep voice call for you. You snapped out of your thoughts, looking at him. “Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“What are you thinking about?” He asked suddenly, not looking towards you. You paused, feeling that annoying heat lick at your cheeks again. Damnit! You were just cooling down! You gulped. Why did he want to know? Had you said your thoughts out loud? You had a tendency of doing that.</p><p> </p><p>“H-Huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Was I too direct?” He hummed, mostly to himself. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to come off as intrusive.” His vivid eyes held your [Eye Color] ones captive. </p><p> </p><p>“Everytime you go quiet I can tell that you’re deep in thought. Like you have some inside joke that only you could meditate on, I noticed.” He started. “Your face betrays you, though.” He concluded. You looked at him wide-eyed.</p><p> </p><p>“Another analysis? Calm down Sherlock Holmes. ” You joked, playfully punching him on his arm. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, since you asked nicely, I was thinking about my new investor.” You couldn’t tell if he knew you were lying. Knowing his observation skills to some extent, he probably did. No matter how big of a fan you were of Smith Corps, it was nothing to make you flustered over. If he knew, he didn’t show it.</p><p> </p><p>“Investor?” He echoed.</p><p> </p><p>You felt your ego grow and puffed out your chest slightly. “Yup! Smith Corps apparently liked my cafe. No big deal,” You boasted as you finally got to the self checkout station. You rang up your items.</p><p> </p><p>He raised an eyebrow at you. “Smith Corps invested in you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, not officially.” You said in a much quieter voice, sliding a ten dollar bill in the money slot. “I have an interview.”</p><p> </p><p>“Let me get this straight, Smith Corps found you worthy of investing in? The same woman that was climbing shelves for a can of pineapples?” He asked in an amused voice. You gave him a look. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, ha ha.” You said dryly. Erwin laughed. “I’m Joking. I’m actually quite impressed. Catching the attention of a large company like that is no easy feat.”</p><p> </p><p>You smiled at him, bagging your items and collecting your change and recept. “Thanks.” Silence fell over you both again as you walked out of the store. The sun was gone, replaced by the void light of the new moon. It was dark out, with only the stars and flickering street lights to illuminate the area. The cool breeze of the evening caressed  your flushed cheeks. A thought suddenly popped in your head. You discreetly glanced over at Erwin’s hands. You did your best to ignore the <em> very </em> attractive veins running up the backs of his hands. You scanned his fingers. </p><p> </p><p><em> ‘I’m really diggin’ that necklace </em> ,’ The inner slut inside you purred. For just a second, the image of his large hand grabbing your throat flashed in your mind. You subtly shook your head. Focus, [Name]! Your eyes never found what you were looking for, which was a wedding band. He wasn’t married. You were worried since he was a <em> very </em> attractive man, looking to be in his thirties.</p><p> </p><p>He was free game.</p><p> </p><p>You smiled to yourself, pulling your eyes from his hands. </p><p> </p><p>“I parked back there,” You told him, pointing towards the back of the parking lot. Historia always scolded you for parking in the back, but honestly you couldt be fighting people for parking spots. Kidnappers be damned. </p><p> </p><p>Erwin hummed. “I’ll walk you there.”</p><p> </p><p>You turned to him.”W-What? You don't have to, really.”</p><p> </p><p>He waved his hand dismissively. “It isn’t an issue, honestly. I would feel better if I knew you got to your car safe.” He said in a calm voice, beginning to cross the street. Your heart fluttered. He cared!... Or he was just being kind. You frowned, walking to catch up with him.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em> Wait a minute. He’s not married, but what if he has kids </em> ?’ You thought to yourself, making you scream internally. You glanced up at the tall blonde man. He certainly looks like he has kids. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary either. Oh man, it was one thing to try and win over his heart, but what about the heart of his hypothetical-not-really-but-you-can't-tell-so-yes-really <em> children?  </em></p><p> </p><p>“You’ve been giving me what weird look for a minute now.” He noticed. “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you have kids?” You blurted out without thinking. The tall man paused for a second before looking down at you.</p><p> </p><p>“Kids?”</p><p> </p><p>You waved your hands in mock surrender, blood rushing to your face. What the hell was wrong with you? Who asked that to a guy they just met? Especially to a guy they're interested in?! </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, that was probably super personal.”</p><p> </p><p>Erwin’s lips quirked in an amused smirk. “I’ve psychoanalyzed you twice now. I think it’s safe to say we crossed the realm of privacy.”</p><p> </p><p>You looked up at him sheepishly, anxiously waiting for an answer.</p><p> </p><p>The man let out a breath of air, the cool atmosphere materializing his breath into a smoke looking substance. He buried his hands in his pockets. </p><p> </p><p>“Do I have kids,” He repeated. He gave you a teasing look. “Why? Are you volunteering to watch them for me?”</p><p> </p><p>You blinked at him. Watch his kids? He has <em> kids </em>? It didn’t change the fact that he was super attractive, and you still had a schoolgirl crush on him. He was just a DILF now. Oh no, you really did have to win over the hearts of his kids. Wait, it took two to have kids. What if the mother of his children didn’t like you? You were way too old to be fighting over a man, especially if that man had kids. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I don’t know. I have work--well,--”</p><p> </p><p>Upon seeing you so discombobulated, Erwin laughed. </p><p> </p><p>“I was joking, [Name]. No, I do not have kids.”</p><p> </p><p>You looked at him, embarrassed for the umpteenth time that night. You were such a <em> clown. </em> </p><p> </p><p>“Why didn’t you just say that?” You sputtered.</p><p> </p><p>He raised an eyebrow at you. “Would you have looked at me different if I was married with kids?”</p><p> </p><p>Did he just confirm he wasn’t married?</p><p> </p><p>You averted your eyes, scratching the side of your neck with your index.</p><p> </p><p>“No, but—“</p><p> </p><p>“Then I don’t see the issue.” He concluded. You pouted at him, looking straight ahead of you again. Silence fell over you both again.</p><p>Eventually, you reached your [Your Car]. You were both relieved and sad. One one hand, you wouldn’t have to worry about being so tense around Erwin. On the other hand, you wanted to keep talking to him. Even if it was just for a little while longer.</p><p>“This is my car,” you voiced. You turned to the blonde man, who was looking down at you with a warm smile.</p><p> </p><p>“You should be glad. In a couple days we might end up being co-workers.” You paused. You weren't actually going to be working in the building with him-- Sure, you were linked by businesses, but would that really make you this man’s <em> coworker </em>?</p><p> </p><p>“Hopefully I won’t catch you climbing any of our merchandise.” He mused.</p><p> </p><p>“Har-Har.” You said dryly before unlocking your car.</p><p> </p><p>“Goodnight, Erwin.”</p><p> </p><p>"Goodnight, [Name]."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This fic stems from a request from @bedheadfku on TikTok! I hope I met your expectations! The next chapter should be out relatively soon!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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